Clipper



Aug. 21, 192s.

F. H. RAUH CLIPPER Filed Sept. l. 1926 Patented Aug. 21,1928. UNITED sTATEs 1,681,746 PATENT oFFlcE.

EaEnEErc 11. Icann, orsou'rn oEANGE, JERSEY, AssIeNoE To J. wiss a sonsico..

oE NEWARK. NEW JEESEY, a :coaroaa'rxon or' NEW .1EEsEY.

CLIPPEB..

Appia-111611 mea september 1, 1926. serial No. 132.924.

My invention relates to cli pers, and partlculai'ly to those intended?. or cutting the stems of plants, flowers-and fruits, for in-l dust and grit; to,v protect its spring mechanism againstfouling and displacement; and to so dispose the metal of the Shanks as to give thel requisite strength without making the tool cumbersome or interfering with the proper adjustment of itsvarious parts.

vThe details of my improvements I will now proceedto explain, referring inso doing to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. lis a plan view-of a clipper embodying my invention, showing the jaws closed; Fig. 2 is a plan -view of the reverse side of the same, showing the jaws opened Fig. 3 is an edge view taken as lo'oklng to the left ony Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an edge view takenV as looking to the .lefton Fig. l, the handle portions of the shanksbeing omitted; Fig. 5 is across sectional view taken on the line 5-5 'of Fig. 1, klooking up; Fig. 6 is an inside view of the upper end of the jaw shown undermost in Fig. 2; Fig. 7 -is an inside view of the upper end of the jaw-1x shown undermost in Fig. 1; Fig. 8v is aview of the same looking to the left on Fig. 7; and Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 9--9 of Fig.

1, looking up. l' t Similar -reference numerals designate similar parts in all the figures.

The clipper illustrated embodies a pair of shanksl, 2 provided respectively with jaws 3, 4; provided respectlvely with curved blades 5, 6, having meeting, cutting edges 7, 8. The blades 5 -is provided` with .-a stem stop 9 overlapping the blade 6; and Vthe blade t 6 is provided with a lug onstopA 10,:ly1ng in front of the shank of the stem stop 9,'and positioned to intercept a'shoulder `11 in the joaw 3'to arrest the opening of the jaws eyond a definite limit. The curved face 12 ofl this lug 10 is not, however, intended to .engage with the curved shoulder 13 of the jaw 13; nor is the curved lshoulder 14,

f of the jaw 4 intended to engage with the curved shoulder 15 of the jaw 3, these shoulders having clearance from each other, so that` ordinaryamounts of sap, dust or grit getting into the spaces between them .bearing is of considerable importance.

will not interfere with the operation of vrinthe;

clippers, the jaws not depending on; the:

shoulders to hold them to duty, butbein'- carried by the particular will now describe. 1

The jaws 3 and 4 are 'connected by ai bolt, 16, the head 17 of which .is preferably'- countersunk in the jaw 4, the shank of thef pivoting means bolt being secured by a nut 18. *The pri mary function of this bolt ist: to hold the jaws together, side by side, but not to carry' the thrust of the jaws away,A from each other during usef That is'doneiby 'the annular ila-nge 20 on jaw 4 cooperating with the annular groove 21 in .jaw 3, whichllgives a broad, continuous bearing surface. fior-the flange, greatly increasing the strength of the-connection, preventing wobblingcf the. jaws if the bolt 16 becomes loose in its seatthrough wear, and completely en-closingthe bearing between the jaws, the broad, o pose'd surfaces of-which are soclose to eac other as to quiteI eifectually exclude sap, dust: or grit from the bearing.:l i

The stability givenl by 'such a broad pirvot or, where'bladesmeet edge to edge'asinthese clippers, wobbling or lateral play 'of the blades greatly impairs their eiiiciency, tending to make their -work so defective that the fruit stems will not be smoothly and evenly cut, but will haveirregularities or 4splinters on their ends, which may injure other fruit with which the defectively cut onel may .be-v

'connection between thejaw shanks I get rid.

of the'sliearing strain which is present on the ordinarypivot bolt, and make one jaw shank directly take up the thrust of the other, over a comparatively wide space,'due

to the height of the annular tlange. Thls gives an even movement of the jaw Shanks relative to each other in opening and closing them, and this evenness off movement isv facilitated by placing theexpandingspring so that its thrust is distributed in the transverse lane of the pivot element, so'that'the jaw by the spring. To accommodate the spring anks are not given a tar'ving impulse 110 in this way I recess the Shanks on their4 between the Shanks of the tool, in a usual.

way, thespring, also, is so exposed to leaves, twigs and the like that it is apt to be caught, clo ged or pulled out of place and lost.

o permit the Spring 24 in my tool to be placed in the proper plane of thrust, and also to protect or guard the Spring, laterally, I form tapering recesses or channels 25, 26, in the' Shanks 1, 2, adapted to accommodate the Spring, so that each shank forms a guard or protection for oney end of the spring on one side when the clipper jaws are opened; and this protection iS materially increased y the overlapping o'f the Shanks when the jaws are closed. The tapering character of the channels 25, 26 permits the spring tov bend or bow, as shown in Fig. 2, when the jaws of the clipper are opened; and this 'is facilitated by making the channels deeper at their inner ends than at theii'" outer ones. Recessed Seats for the ends of the spring are formed in lugs 27, 28 on the Shanks l and 2. These lugs not only afford seats for the ends of the Spring, but they also perform the importantfunction of strengthening and stiening the Shanks, in compensation for the material removed to form the channels 25, 26. The lugs form flange-like reinforcements'at one edge of the Shanks, which, cooperating with the wide, though thinned, body of the Shanks give a good degree of rigidity and strength to the Shanks at this point.

By means of my improvements I secure a clipper which has a high degree of strength,

stabllity and durability in use; wherein the thrust of the blades is taken up by wide protected bearings; wherein the danger of clogging by sap, dust or grit is largely avoided; and wherein the opening sprlng is Well guarded against accidental entanglement or isplacement.

- It-will be understood that details of construction may be modified, as by the use of mechanical equivalents, Without departing from the Spirit of my invention, or the scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United St'ates is zv` cooperating cutting edges, positioning means connecting the jawed Shanks, the inner face of one Shank being provided with an annular Bange having a Substantially vertical` outer face, and the inner face of the other shank being provided with a complementary,

annular groove having a substantially vertical outer face to receive the annular flange the outer face of the groove making a close seat for the outer face of the ange, the inner face of the flange being spaced from the inner` face of the groove, forming a pivotal connection between the Shanks.

2. A clipper embodying a pair of relatively-crossed, jawed Shanks pivoted to each other and provided with Spring accommodating grooves in their opposed sides and with Supports for the ends of a coiled s ring, the Shanks being each suiciently wide to cover one side of Substantially one half of the spring whenl the Shanks are opened normally, and to inclose the central portion of the spring on both sides when the Shanks are closed together, and a coiled spring mounted betweenthe Shanks. v

A clipper embodying a' pair of relatively-crossed, jawed Shanks provided with cooperating cutting edges, positioning means eonnect-ing the jawed Shanks, the inner, crossed faces of the Shanks bein broad and provided with relatively-engaging pivotal elements, the Shanks beyond the pivotal point beingalso broad and being provided in their opposed overlapping faces with. Spring accommodating grooves and upon their outer edges at the ends of the grooves With'flanges forming Spring seats, and a coiled Spring mounted on Said seats and housed between the overlapping faces of the Shanks.

4. A clipper embodying a pair of relatively-erossed, jawed Shanks, positioning means connecting the jawed Shanks, being providedvith transverse spring accommodating grooves in their inner faces and with edge a-coiled Spring disposed 1n said recesses between Said' bearings, the inner edges of the Shanks overlapping each other at the longitudinal center of the `spring when the clipper flanges constituting spring end-bearings, and 

